TRALEE basketball legend, Rick Leonard has been unveiled as the Grand Marshal for the 2017 St Patrick’s Day Parade in Tralee, with the theme: A Celebration of Tralee Sport.

Local community groups and organisations, as well as clubs, schools and businesses are invited to take part in what is always a fantastic day of celebration and entertainment.

The parade, which also marks the end of the year-long Tralee 800th celebrations, will get underway at 12pm sharp on Friday March 17, and will travel from John Joe Sheehy Road through Boherbee, onto Castle Street before finishing on Denny Street.

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The Chairman of the Tralee St Patrick’s Day Organising Committee, Johnnie Wall, said: “It was fitting that we should choose a sporting theme for this year’s parade with so many sporting events involving Tralee people over that weekend – Kerry versus Dublin at Austin Stack Park, Tralee’s Ultan Dillane in action for Ireland against England and around 1000 athletes will line up for the Tralee International Marathon on Saturday 18, while Garvey’s Tralee Warriors will pay Eagles on Sunday 19.

He continued, “The St Patrick’s Day Parade in Tralee – Ireland’s Best Large Tourism Town – is a fun occasion for all the family. In looking forward to welcoming back everyone who took part in last year’s showpiece, we hope to welcome some new participants. We are delighted to feature Rick Leonard as our Grand Marshall. He has been at the heart of sporting life in Tralee for over two decades and he is a wonderful ambassador for the town.”

Once all the applications have been received, each participant will be given a slot number and the numbers will be displayed along the assembly area at the starting line on John Joe Sheehy Road.

Prizes will be awarded in a number of categories on the day – Most Colourful, Most Entertaining and Most Topical.

St Patrick’s Day Application forms are available from: Tralee Chamber Alliance, 18 Denny Street, Tralee as well as www.Tralee.ie and the Kerry County Council Offices in Princes Quay and Rathass, The Abbey Inn and the Tralee St Patrick’s Day Facebook Page.